AP Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishundu says Telugu Desam still opposed to PCPIR project
CM is also against the plan in view of protecting the coastal environment
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2014-07-30 03:55 GMT
kakinada: The state government is opposing Petro Chemical and Petroleum Investment Region Project, between Visakhapatnam and Kakinada, in view of protecting the coastal environment.
The state finance minister, Yanamala Ramakrishundu said that the TD, which opposed PCPIR, was still committed to the same stand. He said that the Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has also opposed the project and the government has conveyed it to the Union government that the petro- chemical industries would cause pollution to the coastal environment. He said that the people of Visakhapatnam were already experiencing pollution problems and it should not happen in East Godavari district too.
However, he said that the Central government has proposed a coastal corridor and the state government was appealing to the Union government to consider their view. However, he said that a new industrial corridor would be set up between Kakinada-Rajanagaram, ADB Road and many of the industries will come up near the new industrial corridor by laying eight line roads parallel to the National Highway.
However, Mr Ramakrishnudu said that the land at Kakinada Special Economic Zone (KSEZ) would be utilised for setting up industries. He said that KSEZ would be a multi-product SEZ zone and the GMR Group was planning to construct a captive port in Kona area, in Thondangi mandal.
He said that the new captive port would handle the container cargo and many port-based industries, including thermal projects would come up with KSEZ and fetch crores of revenue to the government.
He said that there were no sufficient space for handling container cargo at Kakinada Port and there is a need for a new port for handling the container cargo. He said that the GMR Group suggested establishing pollution-free projects in the area. While the reporters were asking him for the demands of the farmers of the KSEZ area that they give back their lands and the TD also supported their demand, Mr Ramakrishnudu said that the GMR Group would settle the matter by making justice to the farmers.
Mr Ramakrishnudu said that docks were cleared for establishing of two LNG projects at Visakhapatnam and Kakinada, with an investment of Rs 8, 000 crores and the projects would cater to the needs of the industries to be set up there.